Ocean Turtle Diving: Proud to Be Forces Friendly 🐢🇬🇧

At Ocean Turtle Diving, we believe the ocean is for everyone — and that includes the incredible men and women who serve, or have served, in our armed forces.

That's why we signed the Armed Forces Covenant — a public commitment to support the armed forces community in the ways that matter most to us as a dive school. For us, that means real, practical support: a forces discount across our courses, and working with local CCF schools to organise dive trips and training opportunities for the next generation.

We're also proud to be a CTP (Career Transition Partnership) Preferred Supplier, meaning service leavers and their Career Consultants can trust that Ocean Turtle is a Ministry of Defence-recognised training provider. If you're transitioning out of the military and looking for a new direction — or just a brilliant new skill — we'd love to have you with us.

Diving for Everyone

One of the things we're most passionate about is making diving accessible — full stop. Kerrie, our Platinum Course Director and co-owner, is a qualified instructor trainer in adaptive techniques, meaning we can build bespoke training programmes around individual needs. Whether you're an amputee, managing a mental health condition, or facing any other barrier to getting in the water, we'll work with you to make it happen.

As Kerrie puts it:

"We see the opportunity to work with veterans and service leavers as an absolute privilege. Being underwater is a well-known healer — those with physical disabilities are able to be free and independent under the water in a way that's truly unique."

Paul's Story: Back Where He Belongs

One of our favourite things about this community is the stories. Paul grew up around diving — his dad (also a veteran) used to let him breathe from a cylinder in the bath as a kid. He went on to dive in the Army, but after leaving the military in 1998, life got harder. Mental health challenges made it difficult to stay connected to the things he loved.

Eventually, Paul took what he describes as "a giant leap of faith" and walked through our doors. He completed his Reactivate course, got his confidence back, and is now saving up for a dry suit so he can keep diving UK waters — though he admits warmer climes are calling!

"The water helps with my mental health. When I'm in the water — whether under it, on top of it or by it — it just eases the stress of life and makes me feel positive."

We couldn't be prouder to have played a small part in that journey. 🌊

Join Us

If you're currently serving, a veteran, or a cadet — you're always welcome here. Get in touch to find out about our forces discount, our adaptive diving programmes, or just to have a chat about getting back in the water.

📍 Basingstoke | London | Spain 🌐 www.oceanturtlediving.com/elcas